Maid in Red
by Kano-sama
Summary: Lucy likes and hates the maid outfit. So when the right mission comes, everyone in Team Natsu must do their best to convince her to once again wear it, even if they have to hire a handsome accomplish.


Maid in Red

"It's not fair," Lucy replied. She then faced the blue Exceed busy with his fresh fish, a gift from the Titania. "Happy, say something!"

"Aye!"

"Not 'aye'," and she stomped her foot really hard. "You never really care, do you? As long as it is blonde," Lucy wailed. She haven't gotten her fill over the humiliation she received on the Everlue case (that's when Duke Everlue told her she's ugly), and now Natsu had the heart and picked a seemingly alike mission to her point of view. "And you too, Gray," turning her head to the ice mage and cursing herself for doing so, "to think that you agreed and don't you dare strip in front of me!"

"Oh, I did it again," was the mage's reply.

Appearing out of nowhere, Juvia said, "Gray-sama can strip in front of Juvia. Juvia wouldn't mind." And then a blush crept on her face.

"Just calm down Lucy," a firm but authoritative voice came from behind. After downing her drink Erza continued. "That's the reason why we agreed. Just like the case on Duke Everlue, you easily figured out that there's more beneath the bucket, and we all thought that having you in this mission is really an advantage."

"Well," Lucy thought for a moment. "Yeah, I did figure that one out in a moment…"

"So what's keeping you tight?" Natsu seconded. "Come on Luce, any mission is no fun without you. You're the best there is!"

Lucy eyed him warily. "Tch, you really do sound convincing, you know. I'll tell you something; if you wanna have some fun, look in the mirror. You'll find something funny in there the very moment you take a look at it."

Natsu planted mushrooms on his head. "Why, what's on the mirror?"

Gray groaned. 'Stupid' he muttered to himself.

"And," Erza added. She surely has no plans in letting Lucy slip this time. "And think of the reward: 1,000,000,000 jewels! You won't just be able to pay rent even in advance but also you get to do something else without thinking about money."

Now, that's a different story! 1,000,000,000 jewels?! The truth is, Lucy was really tempted to join the mission. But still, fragments of memories from past jobs still haunt her. It was really her pride appearing in a sexy maid outfit, only to be called 'ugly' by that old, fat, perverted, no-style no-class duke. Well, the only compensation she received was Virgo's key. After that she swore not to wear the stupid maid outfit again.

"Just look at the bright side, Luce," Natsu tried to reason out. "You just lure them out and we beat the crap out of them. And then we get the reward and split it; 200,000,000 jewels for me, 200,000,000 jewels for Happy, 200,000,000 for…oh, no! I can't even do proper calculation!"

"Idiot, you're exaggerating things," Gray said.

"What did you just said, Underwear man?" Natsu growled facing Gray and taking in his fighting stance.

"I said you're an idiot flame-brain."

"Droopy eyes,"

"Squinty eyes,"

"I'll toast your ass,"

'I'll be crushing you first,"

"Aye," Happy sweat dropped.

"Enough!" Erza roared, eyeing the brawling pair with disgust.

"Aye!" Gray and Natsu squeaked, hugging each other in terror.

"Like Natsu was saying," she continued, "you just have to lure them out. Once you're on open field, we'll switch places and finish the job. You don't have to use magic at all."

"I think you're just looking for a great decoy," Lucy sourly said."Why not use Happy? He'll make a good one."

"Happy is not a tool!" Natsu quickly said, freeing himself from Gray's earlier hug.

"And I am?" she hotly asked, slamming her hand on the table. "Just dye him blonde!"

"Lucy," Gray exasperatedly said. "Those mages won't just resort to taking their joy in killing a cat. And he's so small and besides, dye him blonde?! My god, who needs Winnie the Pooh? He'll probably be made to brew them tea."

"I think it's more like Pikachu," Lucy snickered.

Gray smiled at the fact that he can easily convince Lucy, and he continued. "Happy isn't such a good actor. He'll just ruin everything, right?" he said, looking at his right for some support.

"Yeah, I think he has a point," for the first time Natsu agreed. "And stop stripping, freak…"

"Enough!" a very pissed Erza growled, smashing their table to bits. All fell silent; even the commotions on the other tables were pacified.

"Even if we come a little late, you still have your keys, oh, let me correct that." Happy maliciously said, taking flight as a precaution if his statement happens to make Erza's blood boil more over. "Even if you forgot your keys, he'll sure come for you."

Lucy's brow twitched at the hovering cat above her. 'By 'he' you mean…"

"Loke!" The whole guild chorused. Apparently, unknown to the celestial mage, everyone was listening at their conversation.

"He liiikes you!"

"Stop drooling you'll wet me in no time! And besides he won't come. He's got a date within the whole we..."

"Of course I'll come. I'll give up anything for a rare chance to see my master in a nice outfit," drawled the very voice Lucy doesn't want to hear that very moment. Loke appeared beside Lucy out of thin air and winked at her, making her scowl in the process.

Lucy face-palmed herself. "Why are you here?" she tiredly said. "You have a date, right?"

Loke put an arm around her shoulder and said, "Like I said, I'll give up anything just for you, Princess. So you need not to worry on being harassed while doing the mission."

Although loving the feeling of his arm around her shoulder, Lucy composed herself and elbowed him softly. "Explain."

Loke chuckled at the look on her master's face. "Okay. The other day, after your mission, just when I was about to return to the spirit plane, I spotted this mission on the board. Well…" smirking at his master's reaction, "you see, I've grown accustomed in checking the request board; you know when I exiled myself I used to do missions with Cana."

"And then?" Lucy asked, eyebrows raised intimidatingly.

Loke, sensing Lucy's change of behavior, poured on. "I spotted the mission and had the heart to read it and that's when the rest of the team arrived." Then he leaned closer and whispered, "I did picked the mission especially for you," sending Lucy some goose bumps.

"You're so toge…" Happy was cut.

"Shut up or l'll dye you blonde," came Lucy's threat, silencing the hovering Exceed.

"So…Lucy, everyone's going to protect you. Especially Loke who cancelled all of his dates for you."

The blonde grimly replied. "He's just doing it for his private enjoyment."

"Oh, come on Lucy," Gray pleaded, as he slipped on his coat. "Some girly outfits won't kill."

"Then ask Juvia," she snapped.

Said mage appeared, once again, wearing a maid outfit. "Gray-sama, Juvia will do her best."

Gray sweat dropped.

"Luce…"

"But…" Lucy tried to reason herself out. Then she felt a warm hand held hers. Looking up she saw her lion spirit's reassuring smile, somehow telling her, 'I won't leave you'. With that all her resolves vanished. "Okay, alright. I'll do it in one condition," she stubbornly pouted.

"Anything. Anything Princess," Loke said.

She heaved a deep breath and firmly said, "I'm not wearing the stupid maid outfit again."

Silence suddenly fell.

Natsu blinked. 'Who said something about wearing a maid outfit?"

"Aye," Happy said.

"Hmm…did Little Red Riding Hood ever wear a maid outfit?" Gray pondered.

"That I have to confirm to Levy,' Erza grumpily said.

"Juvia can't remember Little Maid Riding Hood, Gray-sama!"

'Little Red Riding Hood?' Lucy muttered a silent 'shit' before turning to her lion spirit now starting to vanish, smiling.

"I'm going to kill you when you're sober, Loke," she hissed vehemently.

"And I love you more, Lucy my princess…"

"Juvia can't remember Little Maid Riding Hood! Gray-sama help Juvia!"


End file.
